Table of Contents
Introduction
This lesson plan introduces students to compound nouns, focusing on their formation, meaning, and practical usage. Through a variety of engaging activities, students will learn to recognize, break down, and create compound nouns in context.
Before diving into the “Compound Nouns Lesson Plan,” let’s take a quick look at the key lesson details.
Lesson Details
Compound Nouns Lesson Plan
Level: Intermediate
Time: 40–50 minutes
Materials: Cards, pens or pencils, whiteboard, markers, short text handout
Objectives:
- Understand the concept and formation of compound nouns.
- Identify compound nouns in a text and break them into their components.
- Practice using compound nouns in sentences and daily conversation.
Compound Nouns Lesson Plan
1. Awareness-Raising Stage (10-15 minutes)
In the awareness-raising stage, compound nouns are introduced in context, guiding students to observe how they are formed. This encourages active engagement, allowing students to discover the target structure on their own.
A. Introduce Compound Nouns:
Briefly explain that a compound noun is made by combining two words to create a new word with a distinct meaning (e.g., “toothbrush,” “raincoat”).
B. Reading Activity:
Hand out a short text containing several compound nouns.
Here’s an example:
“Last weekend, I went to the supermarket to buy a new toothbrush and some sunblock. On the way, I saw a man wearing a raincoat and walking his doghouse-trained puppy. It was a sunny day, so I took my sunglasses with me.”
C. True/False Questions:
While reading the text, ask students to answer the following True/False questions:
- The author bought a raincoat at the supermarket. (False)
- The author saw a man walking a dog. (True)
D. Identifying Compound Nouns:
Instruct students to underline any words in the text that seem to be made of two words combined (e.g., supermarket, toothbrush, sunblock, raincoat, doghouse, sunglasses).
E. Splitting Compound Nouns:
- Ask students to break these compound nouns into their two parts (e.g., “super” + “market,” “tooth” + “brush”).
- As a class, discuss the meaning of each individual word and how they form a new meaning when combined.
2. Practice Stage (20-25 minutes)
Here are examples of practice activities:
- Card Matching:
- Prepare cards with the first and second halves of compound nouns (e.g., “sun” on one card and “block” on another).
- Distribute the cards randomly to students.
- Pairing Activity:
- Instruct students to move around the room and find the other half of their compound noun by speaking with their classmates.
- Once a pair has found each other, check that they’ve formed the correct compound noun.
- Check and Discuss:
- Have students sit down with their partner after confirming their match.
- Write all the compound nouns on the board, and as a class, define each one.
3. Follow-Up Activities (15-20 Minutes)
- Definitions Challenge:
- Each pair defines their compound noun and uses it in a sentence (e.g., “Sunblock: A cream used to protect skin from the sun. I always wear sunblock at the beach.”).
- New Compound Nouns:
- Ask students to come up with at least two additional compound nouns and share them with the class. Write them on the board and discuss their meanings.
- Writing Task:
- Students write a short paragraph using five compound nouns from the lesson, helping them apply their knowledge in context.
More about Compound Nouns
Conclusion
Teaching compound nouns through a discovery-based approach involves contextualizing the target structures and encouraging students to actively uncover how they are formed and used. By engaging in both the awareness-raising and practice activities, students will gain a deeper understanding of compound nouns, their structure, and their practical application in everyday language.
